Tucker Carlson to Relaunch Show on Twitter

Facts

• Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is reportedly in talks to relaunch his show on Twitter, after being pulled off the air from Fox News last month. In a video posted to the platform on Tuesday, he stated that his show is coming back soon in “a new version,” this time on the social media site.¹
• Praising Twitter, he stated “speech is the fundamental pre-requisite for democracy. That’s why it was enshrined in the first of our Constitutional amendments... Amazingly, as of tonight, there are not that many platforms left that allow free speech. The last big one remaining…is Twitter, where we are now.”²
• It's unclear how Carlson decided to bring his content to Twitter. However, a video he posted in late April — days after his firing — garnered more than 80M views, a number which reportedly impressed him and the people in his orbit.¹
• His announcement comes after, earlier in the day, Carlson's lawyer reportedly sent a letter to Fox News accusing it of a breach of contract in relation to, among other things, the leaking of his private communications. Carlson still has a contract with Fox until January 2025, during which time he's barred from working for or starting a rival show.³
• Carlson's outspoken conservative views made his prime-time show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, the highest-rated cable news program in the 25-to-54-age demographic on the most-watched US cable news network. Fox News ratings sank after his departure.⁴
• Musk said he hasn't signed any agreement with Carlson to create content for the platform, and he's "subject to the same rules & rewards of all content creators."⁵

Sources: ¹Washington Post, ²CNN, ³Axios, ⁴VOA, and ⁵Reuters.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Daily Wire. This announcement is good news for anyone who believes in free speech. Twitter has long been a place where the national conversation incubates and develops. It's not a partisan site as membership is open to everyone. Anyone who would try to silence Carlson and prevent him from speaking with his audience would be launching a direct attack on democracy.
• Left narrative, as provided by The New Republic. In what is truly a nightmarish partnership, Elon Musk is giving Tucker Carlson a hot mic on Twitter. Carlson will land in a spot where he'll be more ideologically comfortable and where he won't be hindered by editorial standards or legal liability. This is just further proof Musk wants Twitter to be his own personal echo chamber, and this is a dangerous collaboration.